The Chain will Link Again
by Cathcer1984
Summary: Written for Snarry swap on livejournal. More info inside.


Title: The Chain Will Link Again

Author: Drarryxlover/Cathcer1984

Other pairings/threesome: Harry/Severus, past Ron/Lavender very briefly alluded to.

Rating: NC-17

Word count: ~4,600

Warning(s): Student/Teacher relationship- Harry is 18. Angst, mention of vomiting (induced by a WWW product), use of parseltongue, explicit male/male sex.

Summary/Prompt: (I'm not very good with summaries so I'm sorry you're stuck with the prompt).

Sign-up #45  
><strong>Three prompts:<strong> Snow, a talk with Dumbledore's portrait, mistletoe.  
><strong>Up to three deal-breakers:<strong> Mpreg, overly heavy fluff.  
><strong>I especially like:<strong> Heavy sexual tension, slight angst.

A/N:b Beta'd by freakingcrups

I hope you like it Prompter, I have to confess that this is my first time, ever, writing Snarry. Fingers crossed it's not too OOC for you.

I may be a bit light on the sexual tension but I think I made up for it in angst!

The spell used is the last stanza of _I only wanted you_ by Vicky Holder, a word removed and another changed. Used without permission.

Quote from 572 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling (as we know).

**~O~O~O~**

"He's just a boy!"

"Severus, he is a man."

Severus stared at the portrait of his mentor in disbelief, "surely you cannot expect me to allow him to remain here."

"Harry said he was perfectly happy being Hagrid's assistant if you didn't want him in the castle" Dumbledore smiled, almost wickedly, "though you'd have to let him build his own hut."

"He's eighteen, Albus; he shouldn't want to spend his life locked up in a castle. He doesn't know what he wants."

The portrait sighed, "This is the first and only home he's ever known Severus, much like you in that respect. You taught here straight away, Harry's already had teaching experience with the DA."

Letting out a growl as he spun around, Severus stalked out of his office hearing Albus' soft voice follow him.

"Why are you fighting this so hard?"

****~O~O~O~****

Severus entered the Great Hall; it was mostly free of students and staff. The occasional student with no home to go to over the Christmas Break was seated at the one table, along with the majority of 'eight year students' who had just completed their NEWTS after crash courses during the first half of the year.

Keeping his eyes away from Potter, Severus sat down and poured a cup of tea. Cradling the cup in one hand and the left hand resting flat on the table, fingertips pressing into the wood as he tried to control the movements and resist running his fingers over the healing scars on his neck.

Once he drained his cup, Severus placed it down and chanced a look upwards, his eyes immediately finding and locking on Harry's. The world seemed to slow down as his heart rate sped up, all too soon Potter was distracted by Granger and their connection was broken.

Feeling out of sorts Severus rose from the table, robes billowing behind him as he left the Great Hall. He hated the feeling of vulnerability, for Potter to have seen some of his most treasured memories and to have returned them with a knowing smile and telling blush. Severus was mortified when he placed the memories back in his head and remembered exactly what he'd shown Potter was enough to make him lose control of his magic for the first time in over thirty years.

Walking outside, Severus breathed in the cold December air, snow crunching under his boots as he headed towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Hullo, Professor."

"Afternoon Hagrid, I trust the Thestrals are doing well."

"Yep, jus' fed 'em this morning" he held up a carcass stripped of meat in one giant, bloody hand. "Best be feeding the Blast-Ended Skrewts, ta Professor." Hagrid walked off around his hut, whistling under his breath. Severus watched him go with amusement before he headed into the forest.

****~O~O~O~****

Hours later Severus was making his way up to his rooms so he could take a long hot bath and rid himself of his damp clothing.

"Severus?"

He turned his dark eyes onto the alcove where the voice had come from, "Harry."

"How's your hand?" Harry moved forward and pulled Severus' left hand into his own his fingers, stroking over the lightly trembling hand. "I noticed it at lunch."

"It is the same as ever. Poisoned by my betrayal of the Dark Lord." He watched as Harry's pushed up his sleeve and glanced down at the Dark Mark which appeared to be fading. However the magic in the ink was merely bleeding from the tattoo into his own magic, dark lines running down from the snake and staining his palm.

"Does it hurt?"

"No Harry it does not, now may I return to my rooms for a bath?"

Harry sent him a cheeky grin. "I could join you, warm you up real quick and help to relax you too."

"Of that I have no doubt."

Leaning up, Harry pressed a hungry kiss to Severus' thin lips, but this time instead of responding, Severus pulled back. He was too tired and too sore to fuck Harry tonight.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing Harry, I must be heading back to my quarters now before I catch a chill. Go back to your friends."

Harry's frown always made Severus to want to kiss it off him, but not tonight. Not anymore.

Walking down the corridor, Severus ignored Harry's gaze that was burning into his back and he sped up until he reached the stone gargoyle. "Lemon drops," he whispered harshly before stalking up the stairs and straight through to his private bathroom.

With a flick of his wand, the taps started spraying water into the pool sized tub and Severus slid off his robes, slowly unbuttoned his shirt then his trousers and boxers, letting them drop. Toeing off his shoes and socks, he stepped out of his clothes and sunk into the bath, the taps turning off as he flicked his wand again before laying it on the tiles near his head.

A creak of the door had Severus standing on the ledge wand in hand and spell on his lips before Harry had even fully slipped through the open doorway.

"I thought I told you to go back to your friends," Severus said as he sank back down into the water, not missing the look of disappointment on Harry's face.

"I did. Well I was but then I realised that something wasn't right with you and I came to see if you were okay."

"I'm fine, _Potter,_" he snapped. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose when Harry stepped back, looking as though he'd been slapped.

"Harry-"

"No, I get it. I was foolish to think-" he cut himself off. "I- goodbye Snape."

Severus watched him go, expecting to feel relief. After all, this is the outcome he wanted. Harry to be free of him and not tied to an embittered man twenty years his senior. But why then, was he feeling like he'd lost a part of himself?

"Goodbye Harry," he whispered long after the door had shut and the water had gone cold.

****~O~O~O~****

"Severus?" The voice was soft as to not wake the sleeping portraits and Severus turned to face his mentor. He wasn't ready for this, his bath had physically relaxed him but his emotions were in turmoil.

"Yes Albus?" Severus sighed.

Dumbledore was uncharacteristically silent and he seemed to weigh his words before he spoke them. "The war is over, Severus."

"I am aware of that, Albus."

"Then why do you continue to sacrifice yourself for him?"

Severus' dark eyes glared at the portrait but Dumbledore's penetrating stare was the same as when he was alive, and always got to Severus. "He does not need me to hold him back. He does not need a Death Eater."

"And what about what you need?"

"What I need? I need for him to be happy and for you meddling portraits to mind your own business," he snarled and stormed back into his chambers, not coming out until morning.

****~O~O~O~****

The following day was a nightmare for Harry. He'd managed to avoid his friends the night before, but now in the cold light of day he was faced with them and with Severus at the breakfast table.

"Harry, are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked for the fourth time that morning.

"Leave him alone 'Mione, he'll tell us about it when he's ready," Neville came to Harry's defence. Since his part in the War, at Hogwarts and killing Nagini, he'd become more confident to speak up.

Harry sent him a soft smile and chanced a glance at Severus, whose left hand was clenched in a ball in his lap. Pain etched onto his face, his dark eyes met Harry's briefly before he almost immediately turned and engaged McGonagall in conversation.

"Is it a bird, mate?"

"What?"

Ron grinned, "Look, nothing to be ashamed of if your bird dumped you-"

"Says you who was too terrified to break up with Lavender and kept pretending to be asleep," Hermione said with a straight face even though Harry and Neville were snickering behind their hands.

"Shut up!" Ron whined. "But seriously, mate, we know she made you happy so you can't expect us to just drop it when you've got a face like someone killed your pet crup."

Taking a deep breath, Harry tried not to let the 'she' affect him. "Nothing happened, okay? It was a mutual thing."

"Yeah right." Ron snorted.

"Do you want to talk about it Harry?" Hermione asked. "Or do you want me to talk to her?"

"Him."

Hermione's eyes widened and Neville choked on his toast, while Ron froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. "So it's not Ginny then?"

"Not unless Ginny has a cock somewhere south of her boobs."

Neville flushed and Ron turned green.

"So he broke up with you? Why?" Hermione, as usual, got over the shock the quickest.

"For fuck's sake, it's not important! It's over, so let's all just move on!" Harry shouted, before storming out of the Great Hall, unaware of Severus' dark eyes watching his retreat or Hermione watching Severus.

Their eyes met as Severus' looked away when the doors closed and he raised his eyebrow at Hermione who just blinked, unsettling Severus. Then she too left the Great Hall, presumably to follow Harry.

****~O~O~O~****

Harry was sitting on the edge of the lake, an area warming charm around him causing the snow to melt. Hermione came through his charm and shivered as the heat sank into her bones, "you okay?"

"Yeah," Harry said listlessly.

"He's very difficult to understand and please, I can only imagine how hard that would be for you as his lover."

"Who?" Harry feigned ignorance while he willed his heart to stop beating out of his chest.

"Headmaster Snape, of course," Hermione's voice was gentle.

Turning his head, Harry stared at her with eyes wide in shock. "How- how did you know?"

"He's been watching you all morning and seemed rather concerned after your outburst at breakfast. Want to tell me why it ended?"

Looking into her brown eyes, Harry suddenly felt extremely grateful he had a friend like her, one who wouldn't judge him, and he told her everything of their affair. How it started when Harry had gone to visit Severus in Saint Mungo's after the Battle and how after shouting and hexes, he'd left. Only to come back the following day and after about a month they'd gotten to the point of talking without shouting and minimal hexes.

The sex hadn't started until they were back at Hogwarts, and Harry told Hermione about Severus' tattoo and how they'd broken up.

"It sounds like he's pushing you away, to give you freedom."

"I don't want to be pushed away, I don't want freedom!"

"Harry, look at it from his perspective, you're eighteen and one day you could grow and resent him for keeping you at Hogwarts, keeping you by his side. I know you want to stay here, but did you tell him that? I didn't think so," she said as he shook his head.

"What do I do?"

"You make him see you are serious about him, that you'd do anything for him and that you will save him."

A slow smile spread across Harry's face. "I know just the thing."

****~O~O~O~****

Hermione and Harry spent long hours in the library going over the potion that Harry had found, Ron sometimes joined them mentioning how much Snape seemed to be even surlier during the meals in the Great Hall. Harry tensed at the mention of his ex-lover but soon relaxed when Hermione said, "I think we can do this, Harry. Tonight."

"When will it be ready for him?

"What be ready? For who?"

They both ignored Ron and Hermione's eyes glistened with excitement. "Christmas Eve. You could put it onto his desk before the feast."

"Perfect! I could kiss you Hermione, when do we start?"

"Give me an hour to get the ingredients and I'll meet you in the bathroom."

"Bathroom, what?" Ron screeched as Hermione walked away.

"Shh Ron, do you want Pince to throw us out? C'mon," he said as he spotted both Madam Pince and the Headmaster watching them, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Stuffing the book Hermione had left behind into his bag, he tugged a protesting Ron with him as he escaped the library. Harry's body brushed past Severus' as Ron stumbled, "where are we going? What bathroom?"

"Shut up Ron," Harry hissed.

And as they all but ran out he could have sworn he heard Pince mutter, "those three rushing off almost always means trouble."

An hour later, Harry had explained the situation to Ron, weathering his rage and calmly explaining the potion to him, as best he could.

Hermione was a little flushed when she stepped into the bathroom and they quickly got to work setting the cauldron alight over a toilet, Ron and Harry watching guard as Hermione brewed.

"Hello, Harry."

"Oh hello, Myrtle, how- how are you?"

"You never came to see me Harry, not after you murdered poor Draco."

Harry ran a hand through his hair "Mal- _Draco_ isn't dead Myrtle, and I wasn't here last year to come and see you."

Myrtle stuck her ghostly head through the stall door, "brewing another potion Harry, tut tut. It's not polyjuice again, is it?"

"No, uh no it's not. Kicked that habit." Harry exchanged a glance with Ron, looking away quickly before he laughed.

Myrtle huffed and dove down a toilet just as the wards alerted them to Snape's presence in the corridor outside.

"Shit, Snape!" Ron said and Harry shoved open the stall and asked Hermione what he needed to do. "Nothing, just keep the fire steady for an hour longer then turn it off. I've set a charm so you will know when. Do not touch it otherwise."

"Okay, here" Harry pressed something into her hand and shoved her out the door.

Hermione glanced down and swallowed half of the puking pastille and vomited spectacularly over the floor, Ron holding her hair back, just as Snape entered the room.

"What in the devil's name-" He broke off as he caught sight of Ron and Hermione.

"Miss Granger, can you walk?"

Hermione shook her head and vomited some more, Ron began rubbing her back. "Mister Weasley go and fetch Madam Pomfrey. And where, may I ask, is Mister Potter?"

"Uh, he went to fly."

"In the snow?" Snape sneered at Ron.

"No, in the Room of Requirements, he asks for a pitch to fly when he's" Ron paused and looked Snape in the eye, "stressed."

As Ron ran out to get Madam Pomfrey, Severus banished the vomit form the floor, conjured a glass and filled it with some water. "Just sip it, Miss Granger."

Harry looked through the crack between the door and the stall and saw Severus on the ground, Hermione's hair in one hand and the other rubbing her back. He seemed unaffected by her vomiting or the water, from Myrtle's latest dive, seeping into his robes.

"Feeling better, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, thank you sir. Harry's lucky to have you."

Severus' dark eyes bored into Hermione's calm brown ones. "Indeed?" he asked, before looking away awkwardly.

"Forgive me if it's not my place to say but Harry loves you and he wants to stay with you. Why do you think he asked if he could remain here?" Hermione bent over and started to vomit again while Harry slumped against the wall of the stall, tears burning his eyes.

Why did Hermione have to go and meddle? Severus clearly wasn't interested.

"Mister Potter is young, Miss Granger, he does not need to be confined to me by the same four walls that protected him from The Dark Lord."

"What if he wants to be?"

"What if he wakes up one morning and resents me?" Severus countered.

The conversation was put to a halt as Ron and Madam Pomfrey ran in, the latter fussing over Hermione and together they moved her to the Hospital Wing where she could recover. Severus picked up her belongings and Ron grabbed his own before following the Headmaster out. Harry was left alone with his thoughts.

**~O~O~O~**

During the final stage of the brewing process Harry had to perform the spell that would eradicate the Dark Magic in the Mark, possibly removing the Mark itself once Severus drank the potion.

"Why do I have to say the spell again?"

"Because it has to be done in Parseltongue and the intent behind the spell is really important," Hermione explained, again. "If I could speak Parseltongue it wouldn't matter because my intent would not be as strong as yours, you i_want/i_ Severus to be free of the Dark Magic for purely selfless reasons, I'd want him to be free for you. It would be indirect intent which means it won't be as strong. Now as soon as I add the phoenix feather you need to start chanting."

Harry nodded and looked at the book focusing on the words and as soon as he heard Hermione whisper "now." He began to hiss.

"_Our chain is broken, and nothing seems the same. But as Merlin calls us one by one, the chain will link again. Our chain is broken, and nothing seems the same. But as Merlin calls us one by one, the chain will link again…" _Harry repeated the chant five times as Hermione stirred the potion twice during each chant.

A silver steam rose from the cauldron and Hermione began to decant it into the large silver goblet, Harry wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled out the note that he had written Severus to put with the potion.

Hermione cast a statis charm to keep the potion in the same state until Severus came to drink it, "now we just need to get it to Snape."

"I just need him out of the office, can you do that?"

"Of course," she grinned wickedly. "Ron and I will get Snape out, just be by his office soon."

"Give me ten minutes." Harry whirled his invisibility cloak around him and took the goblet from Hermione before heading to the Headmaster's office. Tucking himself into an alcove, Harry waited.

**BOOM**! A loud explosion sounded and soon enough Severus came hurtling out of his office, long legs making Harry silently bemoan not having them wrapped around him at night.

"Lemon drops," Harry whispered and the gargoyle jumped aside. Harry travelled up the moving staircase and drew his wand dismantling Severus' wards with practiced ease.

He dropped his cloak to the floor Harry placed the goblet and the note on Severus' desk.

"Harry, my boy, what is that?"

Smiling sadly at Dumbledore's portrait, Harry merely said "make sure he drinks it, please Professor."

"I will do my best."

"Thank you." Harry picked up his cloak and tossed it on, barely remembering to re-set the wards before heading for the Gryffindor tower.

****~O~O~O~****

Severus was mumbling furiously under his breath as he arrived back in his office, "stupid Weasley jokes, nearly blew up my castle with their-" he broke off staring at the silver goblet on his desk.

Walking forwards, he peered into it and sniffed it; it was not a potion he recognised. That in itself told Severus to be careful, moving round to sit in his chair he reached for the note that was propped up against the goblet.

_Severus_, was written on the front in an achingly familiar scrawl. Gathering his mental strength, Severus prepared himself for what Harry would say but he was shocked and the length of the letter.

_Trust me and drink this._

_Happy Christmas._

_Your Harry._

What was left out of the letter was just as powerful as what Harry had wrote. Removing the statis charm with a wave of his hand, Severus noted Miss Granger's signature and sighed in relief that she had helped Harry.

His hand wavered near the goblet and he heard Albus, behind him, say, "he doesn't want to hurt you Severus, merely make you realise that you deserve to be loved."

Taking a chance, Severus grabbed the goblet and drained the potion, nothing happened for a few tense moments and as soon as he had begun to relax an intense pain shot down his left arm pooling in his hand.

Gritting his teeth, Severus refused to cry out, but he dropped from the chair staring in disbelief at his black and withered hand and forearm. Forcibly reminded of Albus' arm in the final year of his life, Severus cried out in shock and despair, he barely had to time to form thoughts but Harry's smiling face swam in his mind's eyes before everything went black in a world of hurt.

**~O~O~O~**

The Great Hall was full of festive cheer. Students and staff mingled at the lone table and around the room, though there was one glaring, gaping hole where Severus was missing.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing in a corner near the entrance and were somewhat hidden from view behind a large Christmas tree. They were, however, in prime position to see Severus as he entered the hall.

The Headmaster scanned the hall his eyes finally lighting on Harry, Ron and Hermione and he was livid. Harry knew that furious expression, _Snape's lips were shaking, his face was white, his teeth were bared_. It was the exact same expression that he'd had in Harry's fifth year when he'd looked into Snape's pensieve.

Hermione gave Harry a shove forward and he stumbled to where Severus was standing, "what did you think you were doing?" The Headmaster hissed through his bared teeth.

"Did it work?"

"You had no right to do that. Do you know how stupid it was to mess around with such an old potion and such Dark Magic?"

"Did it work?"

"You could have seriously injured me, yourself, Miss Granger and I assume Mister Weasley not to mention the other students. You could have exploded the school with the amount of Dark Magic involved in such a potion."

"Hogwarts would not have let me do anything that could harm her. Sev," Harry stressed placing his hand on Severus' left arm right where the Dark Mark was. "Did it work?"

"Of course it worked you foolish boy," Severus snapped.

Harry looked up into Severus' dark eyes and noted the worry in them, and then up above his head, down to his lips. Steadying himself on Severus' arm, Harry leant up and pressed a kiss to his lover's lips, before pulling away.

"Mistletoe," Harry said in response to the unasked question in Severus' eyes.

Taking a deep breath and then sighing heavily, Severus leaned in closer, barely moving his lips as he murmured, "I'll meet you in my quarters afterwards." Stepping away from Harry, Severus nodded to Ron and Hermione before gliding over to McGonagall who had been distracting the younger students from Harry and Severus' display.

Harry drifted back to his friends, ignoring the stares of his classmates.

"Did it work, Harry?"

"Yeah, in both ways," Harry grinned and Hermione wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and smiled into her hair.

"I'm going to head off, avoid the questions." Harry nodded to their classmates, who were coming closer obviously intent on cornering the trio.

"We'll come with you, mate" Ron said, flushing as he glanced at Hermione whose cheeks were pink.

Together, the three of them left the Great Hall going their separate ways on the Seventh Floor, Ron and Hermione heading off to the Gryffindor Tower while Harry continued onto the Headmaster's office.

Severus was waiting for him next to the Gargoyle, he didn't say anything and his face was expressionless as he led Harry through to his private bedroom. Shutting the door, Harry pressed his body against Severus' as his lips were captured in a heated kiss, "foolish boy, foolish, foolish, boy."

"Sev, do you understand now?"

"I- no" he whispered and Harry had never seen him this vulnerable.

Pushing Severus until he sat on the bed, Harry straddled his lap brushing strands of his hair away from his face. "Sev, Severus, I love you. I want to spend my life with you, by your side. It's why I asked if you'd let me stay on next year, I can teach. I know you think I'm young and don't know what I want but I know what I need and I just _need _you. Sev."

Cupping a hand behind Harry's head, Severus drew him into a slow, deep kiss as his one hand unbuttoned Harry's shirt. Harry's hands moved over Severus chest, undoing his buttons also.

Soon their bare chests brushed and as Severus reached for his wand to vanish their shoes and socks Harry curled his hands in the dark hair circling around Severus' pink nipples, down the middle of his chest and over his belly and under his waistline.

Following the trail of hair, Harry unbuttoned his lover's trousers, tugging gently at the wiry black curls before grasping Severus' hard cock. Letting his head fall back, Severus moaned loudly, his hands falling to grip Harry's hips while the young man's lips pressed gentle kisses over the pale neck and shoulders.

Pulling away gently Harry soon stood between Severus' open thighs and he shimmed his trousers and boxers down his hips. He watched, with eyes darkened by arousal, as Severus moved back up the bed and wiggled out of his own trousers.

Grabbing the bottle of lube from the side table, Harry crawled up the bed, kneeling over Severus' thighs he poured the lube on his fingers and thrust two into his own tight hole. His eyes fell closed and he didn't see Severus move until he felt a long, cold, dry finger enter him alongside his own.

Harry withdrew his fingers and let Severus spread around the lube he'd left behind, after three long fingers thrust up into his tight channel, stroking the convulsing walls and briefly pressing on Harry's prostrate, making stars burst behind his eyelids.

The fingers moved out of him quickly and Harry opened his eyes to see his lover slicking up his cock. Moving forward Harry positioned himself, reaching back and holding Severus' cock steady as he sank down.

"Harry," Severus whispered reverently.

"Sev, Sev, Sev" Harry chanted as he rocked his hips, getting used to the feeling of being stretched by Severus' cock.

Dark eyes locked with green and they moved together, never looking away from the other sharing in another level of intimacy. Harry didn't know how long he lasted, he was too lost in Severus' eyes and the rubbing of his cock against Harry's prostrate.

The movement of their hips and the slow build of pressure that led to a fierce explosion of intense pleasure. All too soon, and yet not soon enough, Harry was coming over Severus' hand and belly while he felt Severus' hot come pulsing inside of him.

Finally, Harry allowed himself to let his eyes close as he kissed his lover desperately. "Don't say no again, Severus, please."

"I won't, I won't," Severus whispered into his ear, holding Harry tightly as he pulled him down so the shorter man was bent in half with their chest pressing together. "I'll not do anything so foolish as to let you go again. Stay with me, Harry."

"I will." Harry lent up and looked into Severus' eyes brushing Severus' flushed cheek lightly with his knuckles. "I won't be going anywhere. I love you, Severus."

"And I you," Severus smiled sleepily. "Happy Christmas Harry."

There was no answer from the young man except a soft snore. Severus burrowed deeper into his pillows and pulled his lover closer to him with a soft smile.


End file.
